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Kahen orKohane (Ge'ez:ካህንkahən "priest", pluralካህናትkahənat)[1] is a religious role inBeta Israel second only to themonk orfalasyan.[2] Their duty is to maintain and preserve theHaymanot among the people. This has become more difficult by the people's encounter with the modernity ofIsrael, where most of the Ethiopian Jewish people now live.[3]
The high priest (ሊቀ ካህንliqa kahən, pluralሊቃነ ካህናትliqanä kahhənat) is the leader of the priests in a certain area.
An aspiring kahen must spend time studying as adebtera before being ordained. As a debtera, he will be closer to the laypeople and serve as an intermediary between them and the clergy. Upon becoming a kahen, he will no longer perform the services of a debtera, though he may take them up again if he gives up his position or is deposed.[4]
The termqäsis (Ge'ez:ቀሲስ,Amharic:ቄስqes;Tigrinya:ቀሺqäši),[5] which refers to married priest in theEthiopian andEritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches, is a synonym for kahen, an unmarried priest, among the Beta Israel.[6][4] Withthe aliyah of Beta Israel to Israel, the Amharic "qes"Hebraized was translated asKes (Hebrew:קס orקייס, pluralקסים orקייסיםKesim).
